Sensor Bottle for Wine Temperature Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing monitoring systems for storage conditions of alcoholic beverages, such as wine, primarily measure ambient air parameters rather than the temperature within the wine itself, providing an unreliable assessment of the wine's maturation and storage life.
Innovation Solution
A sensor container with a reference fluid and temperature sensors, designed to mimic the wine's composition, measures temperature fluctuations within the wine medium, complemented by additional sensors for humidity, UV radiation, and vibration, with an electronic unit for data processing and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external measuring stations are used to measure ambient temperature, then the measurement setup is simple, but the measurement precision of wine temperature is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a sensor bottle that copies the physical characteristics of a wine bottle (shape, size, material) to serve as an identical twin for measurement. This sensor bottle contains reference fluid and temperature sensors that replicate the wine's thermal environment, allowing accurate temperature measurement without directly inserting sensors into the wine. The sensor bottle is placed alongside the actual wine bottle in the storage environment, measuring temperature under identical conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference fluid as an intermediary medium between the temperature sensor and the wine. The reference fluid has properties similar to wine (alcohol content, temperature range) and transfers thermal energy from the wine to the sensor indirectly. This intermediary approach allows temperature measurement without direct contact with the wine, maintaining measurement accuracy while avoiding contamination or interference with the wine storage environment.
2Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are inserted into the wine bottle, then wine temperature can be measured directly, but the bottle sealing and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the actual wine bottle to insert sensors, the patent creates a separate sensor bottle that copies the wine bottle's external characteristics. The sensor bottle is designed with the same shape, size, and material properties as the wine bottle, allowing it to be placed alongside the wine bottle in the storage environment. This approach enables temperature measurement without altering the wine bottle structure or sealing, maintaining ease of manufacture and installation.
3Reliability
If ambient temperature measurement is used, then the monitoring system is simple, but the reliability of wine storage assessment is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor bottle creates a thermal copy of the wine bottle by using reference fluid with similar properties (alcohol content, temperature range) to mimic the wine's thermal environment. This copy allows direct measurement of the wine's temperature conditions without measuring ambient air temperature, providing reliable assessment of actual wine storage conditions. The sensor bottle is placed in the same storage environment as the wine bottle, ensuring identical thermal exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference fluid is formulated to have homogeneous properties similar to wine, including comparable alcohol content, temperature range, and thermal conductivity. This homogeneity ensures that the reference fluid responds to temperature changes in the same way as wine, providing accurate and reliable temperature measurement that truly reflects the wine's storage conditions rather than ambient conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a reliable measurement of wine temperature and fluctuations, enabling accurate monitoring of storage conditions within the wine medium, enhancing the assessment of wine maturation and storage life.
Implementation Method 1
a reference fluid (16) is provided in the interior (14) of the sensor bottle (10)... the reference fluid is designed to mimic the composition of the medium to be monitored and consists of an alcohol/water mixture
Implementation Method 2
at least one temperature sensor (18) is provided, which is arranged completely or partially (at least with a measurement-sensitive section) in the reference fluid (16)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Sensor container (10) with an interior (14) which is defined by a container body (12) and in which there is provided a reference fluid (16) comprising an alcohol/water mixture, in which there is arranged at least one temperature sensor (18) for measuring the temperature at at least one point in the reference fluid (16). The sensor container can further comprise an electronics unit (20) for evaluating and transmitting the measurement signals of the at least one temperature sensor (18). The container body (12) can be in the shape of a bottle.